Improvement in gang-plows



A. Hi IBURLINGAMEV Gang-Plow.

Patentd Aug. 14, 1866.

N. PEI'ERS, PHOTD-LITHOGRAPHER, WASIIINGYONv 0 (L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

A. H. 'BUBLINGAME, or SPARTAMI-IJLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT m GANG-PLQWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,081, dated August 14, 1866.

To all whom it may concern: t

Be it known that I, A. H. BURLING-AME, of

Sparta, Randolph county, State .of Illinois,

fication, in which- Figure l is a topview of myimproved plow complete. Fig. 2 is .a. longitudinal section taken in a vertical plane through the center of the plow. Fig.3 is a vertical section. of one of the devices for elevating and depressing one of the ends of the axlertree. Fig. 4 is a front sectional view of one of the devices for adjusting one end of the axle tree or frame.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to certain improve ments on that class of plows which run in gangs and which have. the forward ends of their beams supported upon a carriage that can be elevated or depressed, as may be desired, according to the depth atwhich it may be found necessary to run the plows.

The nature of myinvention consists in con meeting the forward ends of theplow-beams.

to a vertically-adjustable carriage-frame by means of a compound pivot-joint, which will admit of the rear ends of said beams rising or falling, and which will also admit of the carriage being turned at corners without lifting the plows from the ground, and in supporting these plow-beams at or near their rear ends upon a rear extension of said carriageframe by means of a curved lever in such manner that the attendant while mounted upon the machine can lift the plows from the ground at pleasure, as will be hereinafter described.

My invention further consists in connecting the axles of the transporting-wheels to the carriage-frame by means of sliding racks and oscillating toothed segments in such manner that either one or both ends of said frame can be'elevated or depressed and fixed in any desired position for the purpose of regulating the depth at which to run the plows, and also for the further purpose of leveling the carriage-frame when the machine is plowing and when it is being transported from one place to another upon level ground, as will be hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention, I will describe its construction and operation.

In the accompanyingdrawings, A represents a strong beam, to which the bounds A A of the draft-pole B are attached. On the ends of within which are fitted sliding racks I) b. To

these axles are the transporting-wheels B B which are of an equal diameter. t y

The guides at a are secured to the beam A in such manner as to admitof the axle of the wheel B being brought in a line below the beam A, and the guides it a are secured to theopposite end of the beam A in such man ner as to admit of the axle of the wheel B being brought in a line above said beam.

The racks b b have their teeth formed on their front sides, so as. to engage with teeth which are formed on oscillating segments 0 0, the shafts of which have their hearings in projections c c on the front side of the beam A, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

ments 0 Q levers d d are secured, whichproject up and pass through slotted guidese 0, one side of each one of which is notched, as shown in Fig. 1, for the purpose of receiving and holding the levers dd in the position in which it is desired they should remain. By releasing the levers d elf from the notched sides or edges of their guides and vibrating these levers, the segments 0 G will operate upon the perpendicular racks b b and elevate or depress the beam A.

As the racks and segments are disconnected and independent of each other, the beamAmay be elevated and depressed bodily, or one of its ends may be elevated or depressed without moving the opposite end. This being the case, it will be seen that theframe A can be kept in a horizontal plane while plowing, notwithstanding the wheels run in the furrows and upon the land.

The plow-beams D D are secured together by means of transverse braces in planes parallel to each other, and the standards of the two plows E E are secured to these beams in any suitable manner. ill

the beam or frame A are vertical guidesaa a a,

these racks short axles are secured, and upon On the inner ends of the shaftsof the seg- From the following description it will be seen that the plow-standards may be secured rigidly to their respective beams without providing at the points of attachment for adjusting the pitch of the plow-points, as this is effected by other means. The forward ends of the beams D D have a central forked tongue, G, secured between them, which receives a pivoted bar, G, and which is attached to this tongue by a perpendicular pivot-pin that admits of a lateral vibrating movement being given to the rear ends of the said beams, or which will admit of the beam A turning horizontally without moving the plow-beams.

The object of the pivot-point at f is to allow the machine to be turned at the corners of the field without the necessity of lifting the plows out of the ground.

The horizontal transverse bar G is pivoted at its ends to the hounds A A by means of strong staples g g, and this bar is intended for allowing the rear ends of the plow-beams to rise or fall and the plows to accommodate themselves to uneven surfaces over which the machine may be drawn. This bar G has a number of extra holes through it for the purpose of admitting of the attachment of the beams D nearer to or farther from the wheel which is run upon the land, for the purpose of turning wide or narrow furrows.

The rear ends of the plow-beams are sustained upon a laterally-adjustable support, J, which projects upward from the bottom of the beam A, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of a curved support, h, which is connected rigidly to a rock-shaft, j. This rock-shaft has its end bearings beneath the two plow-beams D D, and on one of its ends a long lever, 70, is attached, which proceeds forward to a point where it can be conveniently grasped by the driver, who sits upon the seat L. (Shown in Fig. 2.) The object of this arrangement is to enable the driver to raise the plows out of the ground, so as to pass over stones or other obstructions.

When it is desired to keep the plows out of the ground for any considerable length of time the forward end of the lever k is moved under a hook, Z, which projects from one of the plow-beams, as shown in Fig. 1.

The rear supporting-arm, J, has a vertical pin, a, formed on its forward end, which passes through a long slot which is through the beam A, and receives upon its lower end a nut, by means of whichsaid support can be secured rigidly 'to its beam A at any desired point along the length of the beam A, limited only by the length of the slot through this beam. By means of the arm J, with its pin a and the nut, the plows may be kept rigid, or allowed to swing back and forth laterally, as may be desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the tongue G, pivot f, rocking bar G, plow-beams D D, and laterallyadjustable support J ,substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The rear under support, J, applied and operated substantially as herein described, for the purpose set forth.

3. The perforated rocking bar Gr, tongue Gr, plow-beams D D, laterally-adjustable rear support, J, and the device hj It, all com bined' and arranged substantially as described.

4. The combination of the vertical joint f and the horizontal joint G with plow-beams D D and a carriage A B B, which is susceptible of being depressed or elevated at one or both ends, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

' A. H. BURLIN GAME.

Witnesses:

JOHN E. DETRIGH, JOHN TAYLOR. 

